The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-22

made careful inspection Of the jail
with view to report its condition and
the rep ,irs needed to make it what it
ought to be. The folio wing is the re-
port, which was handed by Chairman
luther to Judge DuBose yesterday,
and by him WAS nrdsrad published:
Report OF James q. Caok. are hItect,
as 10 the Present Condition OF
shelby comfy Jail.
To Alf G. luther, Foreman of the Grand
Jury, Shelby County, and to the Members
OF the Same:
GENTLBMgN-In obedience 10 your
instructions have made profession
al inspection of the Shelby County
Jail, for tie purpose of ascerlaining its
general condit on, both in structural
point OF view and i's sanitary Condi-
ton. The result OF this examination
l beg to submit to you in the following
report:
1t is COW exactly twenty years since
|, as the architect OF the same, turned
the building over TO the county OF
Shelby complete 10 every particular, a
building we'll and carefully built;
steam heating perfect, sewerage in or
der, abundant water supply, cooking
arrangements of the best, ILLUMINATION
aad ventilation of the most improved
kind; in fact, perfect jail, with all
the appliances Of modern science
brought to bear on it, so as to make it
second to poue of its class in the u Git-
cd States. | say twenty years ago This
Jail wa perfect in every particular,
and with proper care and idt pec'io
and repairs from time to time aud with
further improvements on the sams as
advance is making, Shelby county
then had the nucleus on which to
have advanced in prison construction
to have made the model jail OF the
world; but instead, the county has
pursued "laisez faire" policy; little
or nothing has been done 10 the same,
and what little has been done has be en-
dole TO its dstriment, aud had not the
structare been as we'll built IS it wac,
TODAY, after snCh policy, il would be
in fearful dilapidated condition; but
on the contrary, the structure, ss to
stab lily, is today as good as the day it
wss built. The masonry is good, the
foundations are good, and with
such the building can be restored
and brought up TO high state of ex.
cellence with proper repairs. The
general wear and tear of the works of
this building fre those incident to all
buildings and should have had proper
attention at the commencement 10 the
present times Repairing is incident to
all such work, and had it been attend
ed to as it should have been, thsn the
present condition of the Jail would
never have occurred. The steam
pipes and coils, water pipes, gas pip IS
and the water closets are the came as
were put in twenty years ago, being
all of iron, and it is wonder they
have lasted so long. The above is a
broad clndition of the fac's in regard
to the all. l will, now, to be more
particular, enter into detailed state
ment of its present condition and what
is needed TO brig it up TO the proper
standing of such lnstitu ions.
AS | said before, there is cei lin
amount OF wear and tear. The rem
edy is to replace and repair. Little of
this if any has been done, therefore a
general overhauing will be necessary.
The wster pipe service must be re.
newed; all the water closets are in q
filthy condition for the want of prop
er water supply and neglect; they re-
quire all to be renewed. The steam
heating arrangements are in a bad
condition and will quire to be re.
newed or remodeled under correct
system of cam heating, the original
system as frat devised being SO altered
aud cut up by various incompetent
parties that il is, as it stands, useless.
The gas piping needs renewing; tins
pipes are cogget up.
the fl )ors in nearly all the cells are
rotted out by water and urine. Hal
there been care taken snd proper su.
pervision this would have been prs-
vented. These floors must be renewed.
The building as originally designed
and conttruc ed had its own water
works; the tank on the water lower
gave a service to the top cells Now
the supply is not ad, quate, it b5ing
taken from the water company. ihs
third aud fourth floors get little, il
any, water. This has been very dis
astrous to the condition of things in
the jail
This believe the county propose
to remedy, by taking a supply from
the new works at the Cour house.
The building as originally turned
over to the county was furnished with
Fink's patent rehectors TOR gas ilu-
mination, the best system today for
such purposes in lighting jails. These
are all gone and instead, coal oil lamps
are used. The coal oil lamps should
be done away with AID the gas system
restored.
The kitchen in the basement ives
furnished with Fix steam kettles for
doing the cooking by steam. Ole of
them is only there now, and that not
used, The steam system of cooking
for the prisoners should not have
been abandoned. 1t was considered
then and is today considered by the
best authorities on prison hygiene as
The best method OF preparing prison
food. Range', ovens, ETC., should
not be employed.
The out buildings, consisting OF
bakehouse, washhouse and bathhouse
have long since been abandoned as
such and are now used as stables and
woodhouses. They should be either
restored to their original intent and
purpose or else removed away.
General repairs are required in the
basement floors. The stairs from the
rotunda need repairing, having been
broken down by rolling barrels
down the same 10 the basement.